Saw a Jeep J-20 on Craigs List and went to take a look at it. It started right up, body is in good shape, engine is a 258 in-line 6 cylinder with a BORG tranny… It’s going to need some TLC, but right now I have a little time to do it myself, or bring it to my mechanic and have him do it - which I am thinking is the best idea.
Anyway, I did a completely dumbass thing yesterday - I tried starting it and it wouldn’t crank, so I jumped it with my wife’s care. I accidentally put the positive end of the jumper cable from the booster battery, onto the negative end of my batter, and the positive on the ground.
Yes, it smoked…then, to my astonishment, it melted the lead battery connecter right before I took it off. Uhg!
So I am off to buy a new battery and two new battery cables - might as well get two new ones.
So before I install all of that, is there anything I may need to know? Is there a possibility that when I accidentally switched the positive and negative that I fried something else? I’m guessing no, because it was only on there for a short period of time…but still - Any ideas?
This truck is going to be my everyday commuter so I’d like to get it in perfect working order, if I put the new battery in, with the new cables, and it still is sputtering and choking after a few miles, I think I am just going to take this to my mechanic to fix.
In addition to the battery you may have fried some wiring/components. Before installing the new battery I’d do a thorough visual inspection of all visible wiring, especially in the area of the starter and starter solonoid. Nothing seen, I don’t see as though you have any choice but to install the new battery/cables and hope for the best. I’d say the odds better than 50/50 that you’re OK.
You probably did not have safety goggles on at the time either. You could be blind right now. Thank God it did not explode in your face. Luck number 2 is that the wife’s vehicle is apparently still OK. You could have damaged the computer and more in that vehicle.
You are hoping for lucky dog #3 and you might get it too. Chances are good that the new cables and battery will solve the Jeep problem. You needed a battery anyway so it’s just the new cables you are out. If it does not go with the new battery and cables, look for a burned fusible link. I think you may be OK because nothing was turned on in the Jeep when you tried this stunt.
I did that once with a forklift (12 volt battery, jumping it from a car), as soon as I attached the cables it started smoking and I knew something was wrong. It took me about 3 seconds to realize what I did and snatch the cables off the battery. I burned up one wiring harness but once I rewired everything it was all back to normal. Didn’t even have to replace the battery.
That forklift is also where I learned what happens if you’re tightening the positive battery cable and the wrench hits something metal. Won’t do that again.
Happy to hear it worked out. Their may have been a fuse on one side of the battery that kept the damage localized. I did that once long ago, but noticed within seconds, and no harm was done.
